BENTONG: The Pahang branch of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department thwarted an attempt to smuggle electronic waste (e-waste) worth RM3.09mil, after seizing five containers at the North Port in Port Klang, Selangor earlier this month.
Pahang Customs director Mohd Asri Seman said the seizure was made during an operation on April 2, in collaboration with several other agencies including the Selangor Environment Department, the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS), the Port Klang Authority and SIRIM Malaysia.
He said that the raid at CP-HOLD Yard North Port, Port Klang found five containers measuring 12.2m, containing e-waste weighing 88,392.12kg with an estimated value of RM3.09mil.
"Three containers were imported from the United States, while one each was imported from Panama and Spain," he said at a press conference here Tuesday (April 21).
Mohd Asri said the initial investigation found that the syndicate involved used false declaration tactics by declaring the electronic goods as 'Copper Concentrate' and 'Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) Plastic' to avoid detection by the authorities.
He said the e-waste in question is believed to have been brought into the country because Malaysia has factories that can recycle the waste materials to obtain valuable metals such as gold, copper and aluminum.
Mohd Asri said no arrests were made during the operation and his team is still investigating the company involved in the attempt to smuggle the waste materials under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967.
Meanwhile, he also said that if convicted, the offender could be fined not less than 10 times the value of the goods or RM100,000, whichever is higher, and not exceeding 20 times the value of the goods or RM500,000, or imprisoned for a term of six months to five years, or both.
He added that the importation of e-waste is completely prohibited under the Customs (Prohibition on Import) Order 2023, which has been amended and came into effect on April 1, 2026. - Bernama
